News Detail

Kirsten Eastwood '82

Kirsten brings a diverse background to offer to mentees. She is a social innovator who has spent time in private sector, government, the non-profit sector as well as 10 years as an entrepreneur.

After she graduated from Ridley, Kirsten attended Glendon College, the bilingual campus of York University where she completed an Honours BA with a focus on French and history. In 2012, she returned to school for the unique opportunity to take the McConnell/Waterloo Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation. This program focused on systems change and brought together 30 leaders from all sectors to consider new approaches to dealing with issues like the environment, food security, and urban sustainability.

Currently, Kirsten is the Executive Director, Community Development for TMS School where she is responsible for leading and enhancing the School's Admissions and Advancement departments supported by innovative marketing and communications. Prior to that, Kirsten led the work of the Human Services Planning Board of York Region (HSPB) which is a multi-sector collaborative of senior leaders from all sectors. The Board's focus is improving quality of life for low-income residents by increasing options for affordable housing and employment. In her work, she utilizes a number of skills including design thinking, systems thinking, collaborating, influencing, relationship building, storytelling and facilitating.

With more than 700 students from 50+ countries, the largest boarding programme in Ontario and the third largest in Canada, Ridley College is a truly international, co-educational, day and boarding school of the world that prepares students for the world. It has provided enriching learning and life-shaping experiences focused on the arts, academics, and athletics since 1889. Ridley’s Lower School offers JK-Grade 8, its Upper School consists of Grade 9-PG, and Ridley graduates attend some of the top universities and colleges around the world. Ridley is the only independent boarding school in Canada and one of only three in North America authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum programme.